ALL THE star players continue to join the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, with reigning UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year Veejay Pre being the most recent to transfer.
The sudden departure of Francis Lopez and Aldous Torculas created a massive void in UP’s front court rotation. Luckily, they’ve just found the right solution: a “ready-made” Pre will join them in Season 89.
The 6-foot-5 forward, who has already completed his debut year with the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, will sit out Season 88 before being eligible to play for only two more years under the new eligibility criteria.
PREferred Destination
Given how things are, having a player like Pre is a welcome sight for UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde and the rest of his team. For him, the former Tamaraw is a plug-and-play big with a versatile game.
“We know naman yung kayang gawin ni Veejay. Magging malaking tulong siya sa with his all-around game,” the two-time UAAP Men’s Basketball champion coach said in the Facebook post of UP OASD.
According to the post, the Diliman-based squad received “a bit of help from luck,” as it was “rumored” that the Fighting Maroons were not on the shortlist of probable locations for the Pre family.
De La Salle University, home to his idol Kevin Quiambao, was once regarded as one of the frontrunners to acquire his services. However, the conversation did not reach its ceiling.
With the perfect last-minute push from the UP camp in obtaining Pre, and the latter’s knowledge of how many important Fighting Maroons players would be gone following his residency, it all made sense.
“What’s fortunate about all this is that hindi naman tayo nandun when reports and rumors began. We respected FEU, and kinausap lang natin si Veejay nung nakapag-decide at nakapagpaalam na siya sa FEU,” OASD Director Bo Perasol said.
No Love Lost
Pre decided to stay with FEU a few weeks ago, despite his family’s advice. Last Wednesday, in his farewell address, he stated that he is simply adhering to his parents’ wishes.
With that in mind, FEU head coach Sean Chambers stressed that there is no ill will between Pre, him, and the entire team following the decision. He argued that the respect and admiration remain the same.
Having the opportunity to address the elephant in the room following their first triumph in the Playtime Cares 18th Filoil Preseason Cup, he revealed that Pre texted him shortly after leaving the team.
“It’s a very unique situation, we love him,” he said. “He’s a kid, and as adults, we need to stop talking about it and let him go about his way. Because it’s a lot of adults making the decisions and he’s caught in the middle.”
“I think this is the first time I’ve seen a situation where a kid loves his university, loves his teammates, loves his coaching staff, but he has to make a decision for the best of his family.”
Chambers added the importance of moving on and focusing on what comes next now that Pre is out. They emphasized that the relationship between their previous big guy and the FEU community will always exist.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Pampanga native will devote an entire year to improving his averages of 13.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists during his freshman year in college.
